Your Song
by moeichi
Summary: Kinabra AU. Kinana, an aspiring singer making her debut, and Erik, an ex gang leader recently released from prison, were never supposed to meet. But fate has other plans, and when Erik becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Kinana's best friend, they'll have to set aside their differences to find the true killer before he strikes again. His next target? Kinana.
1. First Meeting

A/n: Welcome to my new story! It's probably a bad idea for me to be updating many stories at the same time, but I've wanted to write this idea for the longest time. This story really means a lot to me, so hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it~! Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

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"I can't do this," a petite girl with a cute bob cut repeated dejectedly as she sobbed into her hands. Her shoulders slumped as she sank deeper into the chair she was sitting in, making her appear even smaller. "Laki, I can't do it. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."

Kinana was referring to an eerie threat message that had been sent to her a few days before her debut concert scheduled for later in the evening. When she had first stumbled across the blank envelope in her mailbox, she had expected it to be nothing more than a fan letter. But when it turned out to be otherwise, she had contacted her manager, a stern woman named Evergreen, who immediately called the Magnolia police. While the police had confiscated the original message as part of their ongoing investigation, what was written on it was forever burned into her mind: _Sing, and you'll be sorry._ Even thinking of those ominous words now made Kinana shiver.

But with her concert ticking closer and closer, and still having not received any updates from the police, Kinana had a sickening feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Laki, a pink-haired girl who was also in the room with her, gave the other girl's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Stop crying, Kinana. You're going to ruin your makeup," she chided softly. This turned out to be the wrong thing to say, however, as Kinana wailed even louder.

Laki was Kinana's best friend. In high school, Kinana had been bullied because of her chubby build, and Laki had been the only one who stood up for her. The two had become fast friends, and eventually attended Magnolia's local college together. Laki had always supported Kinana in her dream to become a singer, and she wasn't going to have her give up now, not when she was so close to achieving it. She had seen how hard Kinana had worked for this moment, practicing every day and night until her voice was hoarse yet refusing to stop until the early hours of the morning. She had also worked out everyday until her figure developed.

Kinana deserved to be here, and she wasn't going to let anyone take that away from her.

"Today's your big day, Kin. You're finally going on stage for the first time. So get out there and make your fans proud," Laki reminded her, smiling at Kinana's reflection in the mirror. The twenty-two year-old singer was wearing a strapless silky pale green dress, which brought out the shine in her emerald eyes and matched her fair skin tone perfectly. The gown, adorned with sequins that sparkled under the light, flowed out in waves, and accentuated her curves in all the right places.

Kinana was simply beautiful.

The girl in question nodded, hastily wiping tears out of her eyes. She reached for a tissue from the makeup counter and blew her nose in a very unladylike fashion, making Laki chuckle at how endearing her friend could be. "I know. Thank you, Laki. I just wish...I just wish that there was something I could _do_ ," she said helplessly, letting out a frustrated sigh. The police had offered to protect her, but that wasn't what she wanted. Kinana hated not being able to do anything while her friends and family could be in danger because of her.

But she knew Laki was right – Laki, being the calm and collected one, was always right in these kinds of situations - and that the only thing she _could_ do would be to keep her promise to her fans. If they saw the state she was in now...

Kinana shook her head, then stood up and smoothed out her dress. She had been cramped up in her dressing room all day, and the small space was really getting to her. It would be good for her to go out for a little while. "I'm going out for a walk. I won't be long," she informed Laki, stretching her arms.

Laki blinked with concern. "Will you be okay by yourself? Whoever sent that message could be out there..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

Kinana hesitated, knowing that Laki did have a point. But she had been surrounded by bodyguards all day - courtesy of a Mr. Dragneel - and she wanted time to gather her thoughts before her concert. She couldn't afford to mess up, not when she had practiced so hard and her friends had given her so much support. "I'll be fine," she insisted firmly. A tiny part of her wished that if she didn't think about the threat, it wouldn't come true. She quickly shook her head again. "I'll ask Mr. Dragneel to wait nearby, so I can give him a call if I need anything."

"Alright, but be careful," Laki agreed, jumping into her overly protective best friend mode. The two of them were both the only child of their family, and so they had developed a close, sisterly bond over the years. "I'll wait for you here."

Kinana grabbed her purse and waved to Laki before she opened the door to her dressing room and stepped out into the corridor. Sure enough, Natsu, a member of the Magnolia police, was waiting outside dutifully, pacing back and forth and humming to himself. Kinana bushed slightly when she recognized that he was singing the tune of one of her own songs. "Mr. Dragneel," she bowed her head to him politely.

"Hey," he said cheerfully to her, scratching his head. "Where are you off to? And I told you to call me Natsu. Oh hey, that rhymes!" he laughed out loud at his own joke, making Kinana feel a little better already thanks to his cheery tone.

"I'm going out for a walk," she explained, unable to hide her smile. "It's fine if you stay. I won't be long."

"But Makarov said I shouldn't let you out of my sight," he argued, running a hand through his spiky pink hair. Kinana wondered how a guy with an appearance like him could join the police force, but then again, they were rumored to house many weird individuals.

"It'll just be for a few minutes," she reassured him. "I...I want to be alone for a while, that's all."

His eyes softened in understanding at the desperation in her voice. "It's been pretty hard for you, huh? Well, I guess a few minutes won't hurt. I'll be just around the corner," he decided, giving her another toothy grin. Kinana beamed gratefully at him before she turned the corner and headed down the hallway. A few turns later, she arrived at the back exit that led to the parking lot.

She pushed open the heavy steel door, and sucked in a breath when she saw how packed the lot was. She would never expect her concert to sell out, but it had, and her popularity had increased after the release of her new album. And it was all because of her fans...

Kinana shook her head, doing her best to prevent any more tears from spilling. She couldn't cry now; she had to be strong. If she practiced a little, maybe she would be able to feel better...

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her body relax as she always did before she sang. She opened her mouth, and after checking the area again to make sure that nobody was there, began to sing. Her voice rang out, shaking a little at first but eventually growing stronger to the tune of the song.

"If I can fly, I'll do it so I can hear your voice. I love you, I miss you, I need you. Oh baby,..." As she sang, something wet trickled down her cheek, making her pause. "Stop crying, Kina," she said to herself softly, wiping her eyes with her hand. "You can do this." She was just about to start over again when a voice suddenly spoke up from next to her.

"Speaking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know."

Kinana's heart leapt to her throat when she realized that she wasn't alone anymore. She eyed her surroundings warily, stopping when she spotted a hooded figure lingering a few yards away from her, perfectly tucked away in the shadows of the tall building. When had he gotten there?

She had been warned many times in her life to not speak to strangers. But there was something about this person that intrigued her, Kinana thought as she recalled the sound of his voice. Why was he there, listening to her and talking to her when he probably had better things to do? He didn't seem like the average fan, either, yet he had taken the initiative of approaching her. For a few moments, she debated whether she should talk to him at all. She glanced in the direction of the door, judging the time it would take for her to get to safety.

"Sometimes a little madness helps keeps you sane," she retorted.

"Aren't you a weird one? What's a little lady like you doing in a place like this?" the figure asked, and Kinana guessed from the tone of his voice that he was smirking at her.

"I…I wanted to practice before my concert," she said carefully. That wasn't completely a lie, she told herself.

The man let out a humorless laugh as he watched her debate silently with herself. "I wouldn't be out here if I were you. For all you know, I could be the bad guy."

For a moment, Kinana wondered whether he was the culprit behind the threat message. But somehow, she didn't think he was as bad of a guy as he made himself seem. His voice, deep and gruff and alluring, drew her to him. As a singer, she was especially sensitive to people's voices. And there was something about his that enthralled her.

"I don't think you're a bad guy," she admitted. Her eyes never left the hooded figure as she waited for his response.

"What if you knew who I really was?" he asked slyly, a hand reaching up to lower the hood from his head and revealing his identity at last.

Kinana's eyes stretched wide as she studied his physique. The man who stood before her was dark and handsome, but no doubt dangerous. His arms were buff and strong from years of exercise, and he could probably kill her with a single hand if he wanted to. One of his eyes was badly scarred, leaving him with just one eye. She couldn't tell what his hair color was in the dark, but under the dim street lights, there was a red tinge to it.

She could recognize him anywhere.

"Cobra," she breathed, the name sounding foreign, almost deadly on her lips. He was a ruthless gang leader, infamous for going around town and doing odd jobs for large sums of Jewels. He had been one of the most wanted men in the country before he had been caught during a gang skirmish. There were many rumors of what he had done in the past, the most famous one being that he had killed over a thousand men (though Kinana guessed that that one was made up by the media). But somehow, he never left evidence for his crimes, and so the police had been forced to release him early, after spending just five years in jail. Since his release a few days ago, reporters had been in a frenzy as they tried to interview the "sexy bad boy" for their tabloids.

Kinana mentally slapped herself for trusting strangers so easily. But then, a tiny voice spoke up in her head, he'd had many opportunities to hurt her already. Yet all he did was talk to her, standing a respectable distance away with his body completely relaxed. He couldn't be all that bad, could he?

And, in a sense, she also felt bad for him, knowing what it was like to be constantly pressured for interviews. Unlike celebrities who were used to fame, Cobra had just been released. He was still adjusting to the world, and definitely didn't deserve to be treated like some caged animal. It was too cruel.

He mock bowed, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Actually, the name's Erik. I've retired from, ah, that line of work."

Erik...It suited him a lot more than Cobra did. "I'm Kinana," she blurted.

"I know," he said, giving her a smirk that made her heart jump. "I've heard your music. It's…good."

She felt warm at his praise. She was used to praise from her fans, but there was something different about Cobra, no, Erik's words that made her cheeks flush. Perhaps it was the fact that she would never have expected that someone like him would appreciate the same music that she did, but then again, that was the one reason Kinana loved music so much - it could bring people from all over the world together.

"T-Thank you," she said. "What…what are you doing here?" she gestured to their surroundings. It wasn't the kind of place she would expect an ex-criminal would want to be in.

"I don't know, really. I heard about your concert, and I somehow made my way here. And no...I'm not drunk." He said the last bit more to himself than to her, but his words made her giggle. "I guess a part of me wanted to see what kind of girl could have such an….interesting voice. I never would have expected to actually meet you."

"That goes for me, too," Kinana said shyly, her cheeks burning. "I've always wondered what kind of person you would be." Before she could change her mind, she reached into her purse and pulled out a concert ticket. She had meant to save it for Laki, but she could find another one for her friend later. She felt that if she said goodbye to Erik now, she would never get the chance to see him again. And for some odd reason, she didn't want that. "Here. I want you to have this."

His good eye widened in surprise at her offer. The last thing he expected was for her to willingly invite a criminal like him to attend her concert. "I don't think that's a good idea. There's a bunch of those damn police around here, and they'd kill to lock me behind bars again. I shouldn't show my face around them."

"I insist," Kinana tried again, feeling bold. "You have that hood, don't you? Besides, they probably won't care, as they're too busy dealing with my threat message case anyway."

"Oh? Threat message?" Erik repeated, raising an eyebrow. This caught his interest.

She nodded. She didn't know why, but something told her that she could trust him. "Yes. I received one a few days ago, telling me not to put on the concert. Or else..." she trailed off, shivering at the memory.

Seeing her discomfort, Erik instinctively took off his cloak and draped it over her small shoulders. She could still feel his lingering warmth as the coat fell over her, and couldn't help smiling at his gesture. The last thing she would expect was for someone like him to be a criminal, and her heart ached for him.

"Do you have it?" Erik asked, deciding that he liked it when she smiled. He almost laughed out loud at soft he was becoming, all because of a silly girl – a silly girl who smiled at _him -_ he met barely a few moments ago. Sitting in jail for so long must really have messed up his head. But now that he had seen her smile, he had a sudden urge to protect it if it was the last thing he did. He wasn't a gang leader for nothing.

"I don't have the original message anymore, but I took a picture of it with my phone." Kinana quickly rummaged through her bag. Once she'd found it, she located the photo and offered it to him. He took the smartphone from her, accidentally brushing her hand with his own. Her skin tingled, and she quickly pulled her hand away. She noticed that his hands were large and callused compared to her smaller, innocent ones.

Erik studied the message, frowning in thought. There was something familiar about the messy scrawl, but he couldn't really place it. He'd probably encountered it during one of his exploits, but it had been so long ago, and he had done so many of them, that he hadn't bothered to remember every pointless detail. "I've seen that handwriting somewhere," he said out loud. Kinana's eyes brightened with hope, but he knew he was going to disappoint her. "Though I can't remember where. Anyway, I guess it won't hurt for me to stay for your concert. I'll try to scout around without the police noticing."

Before passing her phone back, he scanned through her contact list. There were a few names he recognized, like Mirajane Strauss, a supermodel who was especially popular with the guys. He noticed one name in particular that made him curl his lip with disgust. _Natsu Dragneel._ So she knew the bastard who had caught him…

She probably didn't know about that part of their relationship, though, so he decided not to make a comment about it. He smoothly added himself into her contact list as Your Savior, forwarded the photo to himself, then tossed it back to her. "I added myself, so call me if anything comes up. I'll be around."

"Thank you, Erik. For everything," Kinana told him gratefully, returning his cloak to him. This was the first time - well, the second in one night - someone had thanked him for something, rather than begging him for forgiveness. It caught him by surprise, and made him feel strange emotions that he wasn't used to feeling, and for a moment he wasn't sure how to react. In the end, he nodded curtly to her in response. He gave her a wave before disappearing once again into the shadows, where he belonged.

He wasn't sure what had made him want to speak to the girl in the first place. Perhaps it was the loneliness in her eyes that reminded him of himself, or something else, that lured him to her like no other woman had. But he was glad he talked to her.

Maybe, just maybe, this was what he needed to get his mind off Oracion Seis for good.

* * *

Kinana watched him disappear and waited a little while longer before turning to head back inside herself. She was glad that she had gotten to talk to him, and for the first time in days, she felt as if a weight had been finally lifted from her shoulders. She could imagine her mother scolding her for talking to strangers, and an ex-murderer at that, but there was something different about Erik.

She took out her phone and searched for the newest addition to her contact list. _Your Savior._ What kind of name was that?

She smiled to herself.

But before she could walk any further, a shrill scream pierced through the air. Blood drained from Kinana's face, and her smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

 _Laki!_

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A/n: leave a review if you liked it? :)


	2. Second Encounter

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

 _Drip. Drip._

Erik could hear the sound of water splashing against cement as he rounded the corner hastily. Even in the darkness of the night, everything was too bright. The air was too crisp. The sky was too far away.

He didn't think he would ever get used to the outside world again after being trapped in prison for such a long time.

He was painfully aware of the scrutinizing gazes that bore into his back as he headed for the front entrance. To think that he, Cobra of the Oracion Seis, would ever dare show his face in public was once nothing more than a faraway dream. But now that he was free, he could do as he pleased, and he wanted to keep it that way. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice a reporter ran towards him with her trusted microphone in hand until it was too late. Of course, when it came to a concert that was as publicized as Kinana's, there was bound to be reporters everywhere. How could he forget?

"Excise me sir, you're Cobra, aren't you?" she asked rapidly, not giving him time to respond before continuing on. "What are you doing at Kina-chan's concert?" Kina-chan was the singer's pet name, dubbed fondly by her fans. Erik thought it was quite silly, but who was he to judge her when his own code name was Cobra? (Well, Brain had suggested it, but still.)

"Can't I appreciate a little music like everyone else?" He said, swerving around to avoid her.

"Could it be that you have your eyes set on Kina-chan?" the reporter asked suddenly, her eyes shining. The ridiculousness of the question almost made him double over.

"Don't be stupid," Erik snorted, but she merely giggled.

"Men all act this way, you know. But I know how you _really_ feel, Cobra! Oho! Isn't this an interesting development, everyone? Cobra is coming to kidnap Kina-chan for himself! Kina-chan, you'd better be careful, or he could steal your heart~!"

Erik growled in annoyance. Reporters could twist his words and make the most stupid claims. He didn't have time for them. At last, she seemed satisfied with her questions and left him alone.

He was aware of the security guards lingering around him, eyeing him warily but not being able to make a move unless he acted first. To him, it was exhilarating. He didn't mind this new freedom, he thought. And it was all thanks to her.

"What are you doing here, Cobra?" a guard asked suspiciously, spitting out his name as though it was an insult. No doubt security was especially tight tonight, considering the girl's predicament. Well, at least the police wasn't completely useless, Erik gave them that much.

Erik pulled out the ticket that the girl had given him. A little voice in his mind told him that he didn't deserve her kindness, but he pushed the thought away. "I'm here for the girl's concert," he drawled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He didn't want to explain himself if he didn't have to, but he wasn't in the mood for unnecessary confrontations tonight, either. He had another job to do…and too late, he realized that he had accepted to help her for free, whereas the old Cobra would have charged no doubt over 100,000 Jewels for a job this good. Ah, well, a catch like her was totally worth it.

He laughed at the irony of the situation. _I'm getting soft._

"What's so funny?" the guard glared at him, reluctantly tearing off one end of the ticket and thrusting it back at him. Erik tucked the ripped half into the pocket of his shirt for safekeeping. The ticket's design was decorated with a perfect shot of Kinana's beaming face, and to him, that was precious.

The guard couldn't do anything to him because he actually had a ticket, and Erik could sense the guard's frustration rolling off of him in waves - he had a knack for reading people's emotions. He knew the police would do anything to catch him again, but he wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. He liked this freedom too much.

"Nothing, nothing," Erik dismissed the guard with a lazy wave of his hand. He passed through security with no further problems (the guard looked even more annoyed at that), and then he melted into the crowd of excited fans chattering excitedly to each other.

Erik scanned the crowds with his good eye. He didn't recognize anyone except for a few more members of the damned police force. Even Erza - who'd _almost_ beat him in their fight back when he was in Oracion Seis - was here tonight, and that was definitely saying something. They really must be taking this case seriously, and that was good, even if it meant more trouble for his end. Ah, well, as long as she was safe. That was all that mattered.

He continued to walk, following the hanging signs that directed him to his seat while dodging the occasional fans who almost bumped into him in the cramped hallways. The packed venue would certainly be advantageous for the culprit, he mused as he walked. They were pretty smart, whoever they were. But he still couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd met them before.

His phone suddenly started buzzing in his pocket. He glanced at the caller's ID. It was intentionally left blank, which could only mean one thing...

"Well, well, if it isn't Hoteye," he drawled. "Missed me?"

"Cobra," Hoteye's familiar, light-hearted yet dangerous (how he managed that, Erik had no idea) voice spoke from the other end. They hadn't spoken to each other since his arrest, but Erik didn't really missed his gang mates. It just reminded him of the past that he wanted desperately to forget. "Last time I checked, you've just been released from prison. So what are you doing, picking up girls at Fiore's most popularized concert? Though I have to say, _Kina-chan_ is a real catch, isn't she?"

So the press had released his earlier interview already. It meant that the culprit may have seen the news, too, and has been alerted of his presence. He had to be careful. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm good. I'm on a mission tonight, so it'd nice if you didn't interrupt me."

"Ooh, defensive, aren't you? A mission to find love, yes?" Hoteye teased.

Why was everyone against him tonight? Erik clenched his hand into a fist, not that Hoteye could see him. Oh, how he wanted to punch the guy right now. "No! I don't need that in my life right now." he snorted. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. He may have some use for Hoteye after all. "Hey, there's a note I want you to check out. Locate the source for me."

"If it's in the name of love, yes." He could almost imagine Hoteye's idiotic grin. "But as your friend, I'll give you a friendly warning, Cobra. If you think protecting Kina-chan is your path to redemption, just be careful not to hurt her feelings. Sometimes you give mixed signals."

"You didn't have to say 'friend' twice to spite me, you know," Erik complained, his cheeks flushing. "And I don't give mixed signals! Besides, what do _you_ know about it?"

Hoteye chuckled merrily. "Oh, just what I've heard from your ex. Or should I say exes?"

"Hey, that was one night! Not to mention _you_ were the one who dragged me into it...And anyway, don't remind me of that now. Didn't I say I'm busy?" Erik had an urge to fling his phone across the room. "Anyway, I'm sending you that message now. Call me back when you find something." He snapped his phone shut and glared at it before forwarding the threat message to Hoteye. While Hoteye was especially annoying sometimes, he was still pretty useful. Maybe he could help tonight.

Now that Erik had sorted that out, he let out a sigh of relief and checked his ticket again. He didn't realize until he double-checked it that his seat was, in fact, in the VIP room. He hadn't expected that sort of treatment from her, but maybe this was her way of thanking him. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he recalled their first meeting.

Following the hanging displays, he skirted another crowd of teenage girls before finally settling down in his seat. The guests around him, whom he presumed to be Kinana's closest friends, gave him strange looks. He sighed..

"You…you're Cobra, aren't you?" a girlish voice spoke up curiously from next to him. He turned his head to see a blond girl with a particularly busty chest approach him. She was dressed in a low cut tank top and skirts that other men would no doubt call sexy, but he wasn't interested. Or at least, she might have been the type of girl he would have taken out for a night in his past. Tonight, though, he was taken. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that the way people greet each other nowadays?" he drawled, purposely avoiding her question to annoy her.

"You're pretty famous, you know," she said, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned toward him. "And I've been following your story. I'm learning to become a reporter, you know," she added proudly. Another reporter, huh? Erik grimaced. What was it with him and reporters? Kinana really needed to better prioritize her friends. Well, his own taste in 'friends' was pretty questionable, so he couldn't really judge her own that.

He held up his hands innocently. "Hey, relax. If you think I killed someone to get in - " at this, she stiffened, " - you've got the wrong idea. The girl gave me a ticket herself."

He was irritated that he had to explain everything to her like she was a little girl, but he didn't fancy getting caught by the police either.

"The girl?" she asked.

"Kinana," he explained. He decided he liked the way her name sounded from his lips. "I ran into her earlier. I'm helping her with her case tonight, so she let me in…" he trailed off as he noticed a flash of movement from the front stage. Was it his imagination, or had someone just jumped down and ran past the front row?

He squinted, but he couldn't see properly from this high up. He blinked, and they were gone.

 _So much for keeping your promise_ , he growled.

"Sorry, lady, but I'll have to excuse myself for a bit. Save my seat for me, won't ya?" He winked at her, then checked his watch as he stood up. It was 8:05 pm. Her concert should have started five minutes ago, so what was with the hold up? She hadn't called him yet, so everything should be fine. He hoped.

Maybe that figure had been a part of his imagination. He was rather edgy tonight, after all… No. He couldn't think like that. She had entrusted him with her case, and he was going to get it right.

But before he could get very far, he felt someone grab his arm tightly. He spun around, finding himself face to face with a very familiar Natsu Dragneel. Speak of the devil. "You," he growled.

"You're coming with us, Cobra," Natsu said through gritted teeth. The girl next to them sucked in a breath as she watched the scene enfold in front of her.

"I haven't done anything," Erik protested, trying to pull his arm away. "Tell him that, blondy, won't you?"

The blond girl blinked when she realized that he was addressing her, then nodded. "I've been following his profile - I'm a reporter, you know - and I really don't think he's the type of guy who would act without an explanation. Especially if Kinana-chan trusts him."

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he leaned in close to the girl and whispered something to her. She gasped, her eyes widening as she covered her mouth with her hands. Erik couldn't hear them, but he could tell from the change in atmosphere that something was wrong. Kinana...nothing had happened to her, right?

Natsu then pulled out a handcuff and snapped one end around Erik's wrist before turning and stalking away, leaving him with no choice but to half run, half walk after him.

A crowd was starting to gather from their commotion. Erik had to admit that he was grateful that they were leaving, though there was still a foul taste in his mouth because it was Dragneel who was taking him away.

"What's going on?" Erik demanded after a few moments of silence. He was getting tired of being ignored, and when Erik wanted something, he was going to get it. He purposefully slowed down and yanked at the handcuff, pulling Dragneel back toward him. "This doesn't have anything to do with Kinana's threat message, does it?"

Natsu stopped abruptly. "So you do know about it," he accused. "Gildarts was right. Unless you're the culprit, there's no way you would know."

"What the hell do you mean that I'm the culprit?" Erik glowered. "She told me about it, of course I would know. Just go ask her!"

Natsu shook his head. "I can't," he said. "She...I don't think she can perform tonight."

"What?" Erik breathed, eye widening in shock. When he had left her, she had looked perfectly fine. What had happened in the short moments after their separation?The policeman's words echoed in his mind. _She won't be able to perform tonight._ "She can't be dead, can she? Tell me!" He flung his hands out and grabbed Dragneel's shoulders in desperation.

The pink-haired policeman stared at Erik with an equally puzzled expression. "You…you really don't know?"

"Know what?" Erik repeated irritably. He hated being kept in the dark, especially when they were accusing him for doing something he had no idea he did. And if anything had happened to Kinana..."If you think I'm acting clueless on purpose, you can cut that out. I'm not. Tell me if she's okay!"

Natsu sighed and muttered something that sounded a lot like "I'm so gonna get fired for this" before clearing his throat and saying in a louder voice, "Kinana's best friend has just been found dead. We think that whoever did it must have been the one who sent her the message."

Erik slumped back in relief, though concern was still evident in his expression. Something as terrible as losing your best friend...he didn't want her to go through that. "Let me speak to her," he ordered, his voice filled with venom. Whoever dared to hurt her was going to pay.

Natsu was surprised at the dangerous gleam in Cobra's eyes. He had never acted so deadly during the entire time Natsu had known him - not that they had had a good relationship or anything - and for him to become so worked up just because of Kinana's friend's death…that really wasn't something he expected from the ex gang leader. "Because Kinana's my friend, and I want to help, I'll just tell you one thing," he said gruffly. "Right now, you're our main suspect."

Erik nodded grimly. He didn't say anything else, instead gesturing at Natsu to continue to their destination. They walked on, pushing past the crowds of reporters that had flocked toward them. A man with shoulder-lengthed long hair stopped the two as soon as they arrived at the make-shift interrogation room. "You're here," he said briskly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Erik spotted Kinana sitting on a couch, her shoulders shaking with uncontrollable sobs. Erza stood next to her, bending over so she could talk to her in low tones, but Kinana wasn't listening to her at all. She looked so lonely and frail that Erik suddenly wanted to hug her. But of course he couldn't.

"I brought him, Gildarts," Natsu reported.

At the mention of Erik, Kinana lifted her head, the first time she had moved from her spot since the incident had taken place. Her tear-streaked eyes grew round in recognition. "Wait!" she protested, running towards him. "Don't arrest him!"

"Don't worry, Kinana. We're just going to question him," the man called Gildarts said gently.

"I know you think he killed Laki!" Kinana snapped, jumping to his defense. Her sudden action surprised Erik. He didn't expect her to be the type of girl who would argue with the police for his innocence, especially in her current condition. He had to admit that he was impressed. And for her to defend him when he knew he didn't deserve it...he knew he owed her his life.

She wiped her eyes again and let out a sob before she continued. "And...and...I may be upset now, but I'm not stupid, Detective Clive! He didn't kill her, I know he didn't!"

Gildarts stared at her, equally stunned by her outburst. "How do you know that?"

"I spoke to him during... _that_ time. I can prove his alibi," she sniffed. "There are security cameras in the parking lot, aren't there? You can confirm that I talked to him at the time of Laki's..." Her friend was gone. She still couldn't believe it.

"That doesn't mean anything. He could have had an accomplice for all we know, " Gildarts began.

"Wait," Erik interrupted when he noticed that Kinana had opened her mouth to speak. There was no way Gildarts was going to listen to her when she was so hysterical; Erik knew that much from his past encounters with the police. He couldn't afford to make matters any worse, especially because the damn police were now beginning to suspect _her_ as well. "I think you should still go out and sing, Kinana."

She shook her head. "H-How could I? Laki's gone, Erik! There's no way I can sing when she's...she's..."

"Then sing in her honor," he argued. "She's your friend, isn't she? She must have been looking forward to this. I know I would be; I'd give anything to hear a voice as beautiful as yours," he added with a wink. The way her cheeks turned pink because of him was adorable. "So, you should go and finish what you started. Don't let everything you've done go to waste."

"He's right, you know. As much as I hate to agree with this bastard, everyone is still waiting for you," Natsu put in helpfully.

"Likewise," Erik grunted, glaring at him. Owing Dragneel a favor was the last thing he wanted, but when Kinana was in the picture, he wanted to do anything for her. She reminded him of someone from his past, a little girl with a big, cheery smile. She deserved to be happy, not sitting hopelessly, locked up in a room like this. His gaze softened as he turned back to her. "Go on, Kinana. I'll handle things here. It's not like I haven't had a run in with the police before," he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

She shook her head in amazement. Even in his position, Erik had still somehow managed to take control and bring matters into his own hands. This reminded her that he had been a gang leader before, but just thinking about his past made her heart ache. Still... she felt uncertain as she glanced between Gildarts and him. There was no doubt that they would do terrible things to him as soon as she left the room. Even so, she knew he was right in that Laki would still want her to perform no matter what had happened. That was the type of person Laki was, and she loved her dearly. Oh, Laki...

Finally, she took a deep breath as she made her decision. "I...you're right. Laki wouldn't want me to be sad," she mumbled, suddenly having a strange urge to hug him. _You're an idiot, Kina_ , she scolded herself in her mind. They had just met, for goodness sake! What would he think if she randomly hugged him out of nowhere? Besides, it was usually the guy who made the first move (not that she had much experience when it came to this field)! But even so, she felt as though she understood him. They were both lost and alone in their own worlds...now that she thought about it, there was something familiar about him, too. They hadn't met somewhere before, had they?

A sudden image from the childhood she'd longed to forget flashed in her mind. A little purple-haired girl ran, half-laughing, half-crying as she chased after an older boy. She was crying because she had just dropped her ice cream. But she was also laughing because he'd offered to buy her a new one if she could catch him. What had been that boy's name? ...Eri?

 _No, Kina, this isn't the time to think about_ that _! Are you going to man up or not?_

Erik watched her with an amused expression on his face. The way she was contemplating to herself was endearing. Her face, scrunched up in concentration, looked especially cute. Damnit. Too late, he had promised himself not to fall for her, but it might have been too late already...

He caught himself in time and quickly shook his head. _You don't deserve someone like her, idiot. Don't let Hoteye get to you._

Kinana stood up and took a few wavering steps towards him. Now that her mind was made up, she ran the rest of the way and flung her arms around him. Her embrace sent him toppling backwards - that wasn't exactly what he had been suspecting her to be thinking about - but he quickly caught himself in time and pulled her close to him. "Thank you for believing in me, Kinana," he whispered, lowering his voice so that only she could hear him. His words sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. She was glad she had made the right decision.

She smiled through her tears. Resting her head against his chest, she could hear his heart beating. It reassured her, and she felt safe for the first time since she had received that message. She wished she could just stay like this forever. "Thank you for believing in me, Erik," she said back. "I only wish you could to hear me sing, too."

"Oh, I'm sure I will someday," he teased lightly, giving her a final squeeze before pulling away. Kinana wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she was almost certain she felt something warm brush against the top of her head before his warmth disappeared.

She gave him one last, longing gaze as she allowed her makeup artist to guide her back to her prep room. He gave her a thumbs up and did his best to smile despite how grim the situation was, though he thought his smile looked more like a grimace than an actual smile. She waved to him as she finally disappeared from his sight, leaving him alone to face the police.

He had barely noticed them during his moment with Kinana, but now that he looked at them, their reactions were almost comical. They were gaping at him with stunned expressions, clearly not being able to believe that she had just hugged him. He still couldn't quite believe it, either.

But she had, and he was never going to forget that.

* * *

A/n: Sorry the second chapter took longer! (I kept re-editing it because I wanted to make it perfect, hehe)

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Julius Night, Vilandel and Guest for reviewing the first chapter!


	3. Third Threat

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

"I couldn't help but overhear your discussion earlier," Kinana's bubbly makeup artist, a girl called Jenny, said teasingly as she bent over to dab eyeshadow over Kinana's eyelids. "Your boyfriend sure is sweet, Kinana-chan."

"H-He's not my boyfriend!" Kinana denied, her cheeks burning in embarrassment at the suggestion. While she reluctantly admitted that Erik was good-looking, they had just met a few moments ago!

The blond-haired girl giggled. "In that case, you wouldn't mind if I stole him for myself, would you? He was willing to turn himself in for you, you know. If that doesn't scream romantic, I don't know what is!"

"He's innocent," Kinana insisted firmly. "I want to know who killed my friend as much as the police does, but I know it wasn't him. It's not right to frame someone for something they hadn't done, just because of their past." _Erik, please be okay,_ she begged silently _._

"Look at you, defending him like that! He's so lucky such a cute girl is supporting him," Jenny teased. When Kinana lowered her head and didn't respond, Jenny sighed and gave her shoulder a small squeeze. She could tell that Kinana was still sensitive to the topic. "There, all done!" Jenny said, standing back so she could admire her handiwork proudly. "Try not to cry again, okay, Kinana-chan? Smiling suits you a lot better, dear."

She nodded. She had to stay strong, both for Laki and for Erik. "I'm fine. And, thank you, Jenny. I mean it. I...I'll be heading off now."

She walked towards the backstage entrance, taking a deep breath to prepare herself. She didn't think she would ever be ready, but she knew Laki was watching over her. She could do it.

 _Thank you, Laki. For everything..._

"There you are!" The director breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he spotted her. "We've been looking everywhere for you, Kinana! Is everything alright?"

So many people had supported her on her journey. Laki, Lucy, Levy, Mirajane, Jenny, Evergreen, and him… _Erik_ … "Yes, I'm fine. We had a little hold up, but everything is okay now. I'm sorry for being late."

"Don't apologize to me," the director told her with a proud smile. "Well, good luck out there, Kina-chan. Break a leg."

"I won't disappoint you," Kinana promised, raising her head defiantly. She could do this.

She stepped onto the stage and was immediately greeted by thunderous applause. She was taken aback by how many people were here for her, and she was glad that she had followed Erik's advice. She couldn't disappoint them when she had worked so hard to get here.

"I'm sorry for the delay, everyone!" she called out, her voice quivering as she spoke. A few members of the crowd booed in protest to the delayed performance. She cleared her throat and tried again, knowing that they deserved the truth from her. "Just a few moments ago, I lost my best friend, someone precious to me. I...I almost gave up. But I realized that without you, I wouldn't be standing here tonight. So, from now on, I'm going to keep moving forward. I hope you will continue to support me, and I hope you enjoy the concert!"

Her speech wasn't just for her fans. She was sending a message to the culprit, too, to tell them that whatever they did wasn't going to faze her. She and Erik were both going to get through this. She knew it.

"Kina-chan! Kina-chan!" The boos turned to cheers as her fans screamed their support for her.

Kinana beamed at the crowd. Laki had told her to smile, and that must be what she would've wanted to see if she were here. "And now, without further ado, let's begin tonight's program!"

* * *

"I know you want to be out there too," Erik called out to Natsu. The messy haired policeman stood by in the corner, looking completely bored and tapping his fingers impatiently as Gildarts questioned Erik. He was asking typical investigation questions (what was your relationship to the victim, what were you doing at the time of the murder, and other ones that Erik hadn't bothered to remember), but Erik knew that Gildarts was prodding him to find evidence to bring him down. He'd dealt with the police enough times in the past to know their procedure very, very well.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Natsu said defensively, eyeing Gildarts warily. The detective was busy taking notes and didn't seem to be paying attention to them.

"I'm good at reading people's emotions. Or have you forgotten, Dragneel?" Erik smirked at him. Turning to Gildarts, he added, "Listen, Gildarts. I know you want to lock me up right now, and I'll do whatever it is you want to do with me. But do you think you'd be able to let me and my pal Natsu here go out and watch her sing? I don't know about you, but watching it on TV doesn't have the same effect as watching it live." To prove his point, he jabbed his thumb in the direction of the TV set hanging from the ceiling. Damn the sound system for messing up her powerful voice. While he hated the thought of owing anyone a favor, the police force in particular, he knew he would never get another chance to see her sing in person. This was the only way he'd get his wish.

Gildarts frowned, still staring at the document. "You're a criminal, Cobra. What makes you think you have any right to make requests?"

"Dragneel will be with me, you know. In fact, you can handcuff us together to guarantee that I won't try anything." Erik persuaded. Of course, he could escape if he really wanted to, but not when he had work to do. And who knows, maybe he could even find some useful information about the real culprit in prison..."As for the cherry on top, I'll tell you all the juicy secrets about Oracion Seis that I know."

For a few minutes, only the sound of shuffling paper could be heard. Finally, Gildarts nodded to Natsu. "Well, you heard him, Natsu. Make sure not to bring attention to yourselves while you're there."

"You got it, chief!" Natsu instantly brightened, taking out a set of handcuffs from his pocket and snapping one end around Erik's wrist before clipping the other end to himself. Erik snorted in amusement. Dragneel was like an open book. He was easy to deal with, but Gildarts, on the other hand...it was going to take him a lot more mind-power to beat someone like that. But Erik liked challenges, and this looked like it was going to be fun.

Natsu glared at him. "What's so funny, Cobra?"

"Nothing," Erik drawled lazily. "Let's go, we're wasting time already."

As he headed out of the room, he glanced back to see Gildarts gazing at him thoughtfully. Erik smirked at the older man with determination burning in his eyes.

 _Bring it on._

* * *

"Isn't Kinana-chan gorgeous?" Lucy gushed to Levy from their seats in the VIP room. Kinana had saved the best seats for them. The girls had met each other while studying in college, and quickly became friends. "I'm going to write an article about her performance and make it so successful that even Laki will see it in Heaven!"

Levy smiled in agreement. "I'm sure Laki would like that."

Lucy tipped her head to one side. "Though...I wonder why Cobra was here earlier? Do you really think he was telling the truth?"

"That's forever going to be a mystery," Levy murmured. "Why don't we ask Ki-chan afterwards? I'm sure she'll explain the situation to us."

The blond reporter nodded. "I guess that's the best we can do. Ooh, my favorite song is up next!"

The girls fell silent as they turned their attention back to the concert.

* * *

On stage, Kinana was completely engrossed in her performance. All her worries and concerns had disappeared as she sang. She wanted her audience to feel what she was feeling, and see what she was seeing. She wanted to reach them.

She raised her arms in sync to the beat.

 _"Fly, little bird,_

 _Fly through the sky,_

 _Fly, like you're free - "_

She was just about to sing the next verse when the sound system cut off and the room suddenly went dark. She froze as screams filled the venue, her mind turning blank at the thought that her fans were in danger. What in Mavis' name was going on!? It couldn't be the culprit's doing, could it? Why did it have to turn out like this?

Just then, a lighter flicked on in the corner of the stage, revealing Natsu and Erik, both disheveled, completely out of breath, and handcuffed to each other. Despite Erik's rough appearance, just the sight of him reassured her, and Kinana gave him a knowing smile. She didn't have the time to ask what he and Natsu were doing there, but she knew what she had to do.

"Do not be afraid, everyone!" she called out, hoping that her voice wasn't shaking too much. "I'm here with you, and I'll sing until the end!" With that, she continued the song, not even caring that there was no accompaniment.

The crowd's screams turned to cheers, so loud that it overpowered the sound of the chandelier unscrewing, right over Kinana.

Erik, who was scanning their surroundings under the dim firelight in an attempt to locate the source of the disturbance, was the first to notice that the chandelier was starting to fall. "Look out!" He yelled, and, forgetting that Natsu was still chained to him, leapt forward to push her out of the way. Natsu had no choice but to get dragged along with him, and as he stumbled, he accidentally dropped the lighter onto the ground, switching it off.

 _Crash!_

The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the room. "Erik!" Kinana screamed out desperately, squinting as she tried to see in the darkness. "Erik, where are you?"

As she looked around frantically, a menacing voice hissed next to her, "This is just the beginning, _Kinana-chan_."

Kinana felt her blood turn to ice, and she whirled around, trying to locate the speaker. She knew that this was the real culprit who had spoken, and she wanted to ask him what she ever did to make him hate her so much. She wanted him to know that if he wanted to hurt her, it would better to just kill her than to hurt her friends. She opened her mouth, but in her shock, no words came out.

Then she blinked, and his presence was gone.

* * *

A/n: I'm so sorry for the delay! (School happened orz) but here is the next chapter as promised, and thank you so much for your continued support! Hope you enjoy :)

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Vilandel Sweetstalker for reviewing the previous chapter!


	4. Fourth Betrayal

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

Kinana was beginning to panic when, after what felt like a lifetime, the lights finally switched back on. Her eyes stretched wide when she took in the scene in front of her - the stage was ruined, shards of glass were scattered all over the place, and Erik and Natsu had both collapsed onto the ground.

"Erik!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with concern and shock. "You're hurt!"

He grunted as he pushed himself up, giving her a lopsided grin as she examined a long scratch bleeding heavily on his arm. "This? Don't worry, it's just a small scratch. I've had worse," he reassured her, but couldn't stop himself from grimacing when she tried to help him up. To distract her, he added, " _Mr. Dragneel_ isn't in as good a shape as I am, though." He pointed to where the pink-haired policeman lay unconscious on the ground. He looked like he had taken the most damage from the chandelier's hit.

When Kinana continued looking at him with doubt in her eyes, he sighed. "Really, I'm fine. I wasn't a gang leader for nothing, you know." He instantly regretted his words when she shifted uncomfortably. Just when they were finally on friendly terms, he had to go and ruin it. _You're an idiot, Cobra,_ he groaned inwardly, instantly regretting his words.

He was good at dealing with women, but he knew nothing when it came to women like _her_. All the women he'd encountered were the same - spoiled, wicked, and cruel - but Kinana was innocent. He didn't want to taint her, to drag her into his world like this. He didn't want to put her in danger, not when she already had so much to deal with. Maybe it would be for the best for her to forget him. Maybe it was better to never see her again.

But before she give him a piece of her mind, thundering footsteps announced the arrival of the police. "What on earth happened?" Gildarts demanded, surveying the room with surprise.

"I thought you were keeping an eye on the security camera," Erik glared at the older man. "You were supposed to be protecting her! How can you let someone almost kill her right under your nose? Damn it!" He threw a punch towards the ground in frustration, but winced in pain from his injuries.

Kinana stirred at his outburst. "Gildarts, someone tried to kill me," she said softly, walking towards him. She was close to crying again, but she wasn't going to show her weakness to them. Crying wasn't going to solve anything. "And I know it wasn't Erik. If he and Natsu hadn't gotten there in time, I...I wouldn't be alive."

"We don't have any evidence to prove that," Gildarts said dryly. "And I'm afraid a deal's a deal. We'll have to keep him locked up for a little while. That's the price he had to pay for coming out here so he could listen to your concert."

Kinana stared disbelievingly at the detective at his revelation. Erik...he'd sacrificed himself just to be there for her?

She turned around and knelt down next to Erik. "You...you idiot!" she cried, striking her fist against his broad chest. He looked away at her outburst, but didn't move a muscle as she continued to hit him weakly. He knew he deserved her anger. "Why would you do that? You'd just gotten out of jail...you had your life in front of you! Why would you just offer yourself to them like that?" It wasn't just Erik, either. Laki had _died_ because Kinana refused to give up. And now, Erik was going to jail because of her.

Kinana hated herself. She hated herself for being so selfish, and for not being able to do anything while her friends tried to protect her.

"You're not selfish," Erik murmured softly so that only she could hear. At the astonished look on her face, he chuckled. "People say I have a knack for reading minds, but now's not the time to talk about that. Don't worry, Kinana. I don't blame you for anything." He suddenly had an idea. It was probably better to cut off ties with her now, so that she'd run far away from him and never see him again. That would be the best choice, for both of them. He took a deep breath before continuing. "In fact, I'm doing this for myself. If you're going to call anyone selfish, it'd be me."

"You're not - " she started, but he pressed a finger to her lips.

"That's right, I _am_ evil. I wanted to help you so I can clear my name. Isn't that selfish enough for you?" He hated seeing her get upset. But he hated himself even more when _he_ was the one who made her upset. He couldn't meet her gaze as he gently pushed her away and glanced up at Gildarts. His chest tightened, but he ignored the emptiness inside him. "I'll come with you, but maybe you should unlock me first. It wouldn't do to drag Dragneel around with me when he's been hurt."

Gildarts nodded. Pulling out the key from Natsu's back pocket, he unlocked the handcuff so paramedics could take Natsu to the hospital. "Alright, let's go."

Kinana helplessly watched as Erik left for the second time in one night with her heart filled with pain. Was that their destiny?, she wondered, were they always meant to be apart? She had a feeling that he didn't mean those words, and that he'd only said them to protect her. _Or maybe you're just telling yourself that,_ she thought bitterly. _You shouldn't trust strangers so easily, Kinana. What if he really was using you all along?_

Well...now she would never know. He was being taken away, and there was nothing she could do to stop him from leaving. She only wished that she could go back in time to when they first met, so she could ask him what his motive had been. But she couldn't do that now.

Unless...unless there was some way she could speak to him again.

She didn't dare cry again as her friends ran up to her with wide eyes, interrupting her from her thoughts. "Ki-chan! Kinana, are you alright?" Lucy gasped, pulling her into a tight hug.

"We wanted to come earlier, but we didn't want to interrupt," Levy apologized.

Kinana could only nod in response. Her mind was still in a daze after everything that had happened that night.

"We should go, too," Lucy said kindly. "This must have been such a hard night for you. Oh, I know! Why don't we have a sleepover at your place, Kinana? We can talk about anything, even boys, if you want to! It'll be fun!"

Levy pouted. "Oi, Lu-chan, we know you just want to talk about that pink-haired policeman. You've been staring at him all night!"

Lucy blushed. "I have not!" she protested. "Anyway, let's go. I've had enough of this place." she shuddered, staring at the aftermath of the accident as they helped Kinana to her feet and led her away.

Kinana wasn't in the mood for fun, but she was glad that her friends would be able to help her take her mind off the terrible events from that night. She didn't look back as she followed them, her mind whirling as she tried to come up with a plan.

* * *

 _It was all a dream. It was all a dream._

Kinana opened her eyes with a start, only to remember that everything that had happened had certainly not been a dream. The girls, after spending the night talking until their voices were hoarse and drank until the early hours of the morning, were sprawled out in Kinana's living room. They had forgotten to switch off the television, which was currently announcing the dreadful events from the previous night.

Kinana's head ached, and it wasn't just because of the alcohol. Why did she have to be reminded of that now?

"What a night this turned out to be!" The reporter was saying. "I feel so sorry for Kinana-chan, don't you? She lost her best friend, and Cobra almost took her life, all in one night! Cobra really is a snake, tricking her into trusting him, then betraying her trust. That's why I swore off men long ago. Kinana-chan, if you're hearing this, maybe you should too!"

Kinana wrinkled her nose in distaste and switched off the news. Feeling a little better, she went into the bathroom to take a shower. She hadn't bothered taking off her makeup from the night before, making her face look like an evil witch's. Jenny would certainly through a fit if she saw her now.

Kinana relaxed as she felt the warm water trickle down her body. She glanced down at a small scar on her knee, which she had obtained during her days at the orphanage. She had tried to climb a tree to help a cat who had gotten stuck, but lost her footing and fell, scraping her knee in the process.

She giggled as she remembered her childhood friend Eri, who had raced up to her shortly afterwards and scolded her for being so rash. "Cats can get down on their own, Kina!" He'd said angrily. "Cats can climb trees, not humans! What kind of dumb idea was that?"

They had come up with nicknames for each other because Eri's name was too hard for Kinana to pronounce. In return, she'd happily agreed to be called Kina, as she thought it was cute.

"Sorry, Eri," she whimpered sheepishly, grinning up at him.

He sighed. "If you have too many scars, no man will want to marry you when you grow up!"

Kinana had instantly felt sad, but suddenly brightened when a brilliant idea came to her. "If no man marries me, I'll get to marry you!"

A blush had spread across Eri's cheeks, but Kinana was too excited to notice. "When I said no man will want to marry you, that includes me!"

She pouted. "Hey, that's not nice!"

"Well...I _might_ consider it if we get your knee treated first," he said, his cheeks red from embarrassment.

She then raced after him, giggling in excitement at the thought that Eri was going to be her future husband, oblivious to the fact that a pair of eyes had been gazing at them from the forest.

Kinana blinked water out of her eyes. She wondered how Eri was doing now. They had all been separated after Eri was transferred to another orphanage, and she was adopted by her foster parents. And their other friends, Richi and Sora, how were they? Did they know that Kinana was a singer? Did they know that she had failed her fans, and most importantly, failed the people closest to her?

She got out of the shower and stared at the pale, lifeless, reflection that gazed sullenly back at her. Her cheeks, usually fair and plump, were drained of color, and her bright green eyes were dull. Her hair was in a darker shade of violet as a result of her shower, and was plastered to her heart-shaped face. In other words, she looked like a ghost.

She made up her mind then. She was going to speak to Gildarts again if it was the last thing she did.

Because this was something that only she could do.

* * *

A/n: I updated faster this time! That's a record xD I'm so excited to write the story, especially now that the plot is thicker~ ohohoho ;0 Hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it! (sorry it's a little shorter than the first few chapters though, as this was a good stopping point xD)

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Vilandel, MusicalArtist185, and reaper27 for reviewing the previous chapter! New readers are always welcome! :D


	5. Fifth Revelation

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

The guard kicked Erik's leg, hard. "Quit staring and get moving, prisoner!"

Erik had been taking in his surroundings while the guard led him on to his cell. As they passed cell after cell, he'd noticed a couple of his gang's underlings lurking behind those bars. It took him a while to take in the fact that, just like that, he was back in the hellhole known as Magnolia Prison.

Man, he really was hopeless.

"You do know who I am, don't you?" Erik hissed to the guard, a short, chubby man clad in the typical but ugly green uniform. This was the one thing he missed about his past life, being able to order people around with just a bat of his eye. And he had the perfect scheme up his sleeves after Gildarts had backed him into a corner. "You know perfectly well that I can destroy you by bringing out your deepest, darkest secrets. Oh, I know all about your past, alright," he taunted as the guard's eyes widened in disbelief. "You had a brother, who you were very close to. But then, he ran away. At least, that's what you told everyone, but he didn't _really_ run away, did he?" he drawled, enjoying making the guard suffer.

"S-STOP!" The man yelled, his voice wavering.

Bingo.

"If your superiors knew, would you still be here?" Erik asked scornfully. "Maybe you would be on the other side, instead of forcing _me_ to get moving."

"Fuck you, Cobra," the man growled as he practically shoved Erik into his cell. "What do you want?"

Erik smirked. "First, you can start by bringing me a list of every man who has entered and left this prison in the last twenty five years."

"What the hell are you going to do with that?"

Erik pointed a finger at the guard, enjoying this game. "Your brother didn't run away. He was really killed - "

"Enough! I'll go, just shut your mouth, you damn snake!" the guard backed away, a terrified look in his eyes. He was trapped.

"Is that the best insult you could come up with? I'm disappointed in you, Nadal," Erik drawled. Nadal gave him one last look before practically running to get away from him. Now that Erik was alone, he glanced around the room he was supposed to call home for the next few days. Besides a bed that hardly looked like it was comfortable, and a bucket that reeked of urine, there wasn't anything else that would help keep him occupied to pass the time.

Well, he'll have all that information to go through, though. He knew that everyone he'd dealt with had at one point or another spent a part of their life in Magnolia Prison. It was a hub for prisoners before they were sent elsewhere, whether to be killed or released. He was sad to admit that a portion of those prisoners who had been released ended up performing more crime by joining gangs.

And he knew that whoever wrote the threat message to Kinana had to be on this list.

* * *

"I would like to speak to Detective Clive, please," Kinana informed the receptionist as she ventured into the police department.

"Do you have an appointment with him?" the older woman asked silkily. "Detective Clive is terribly busy at this moment, I'm afraid. Unless you have an appointment, or have evidence pertaining to a certain case, he's not accepting visitors."

Kinana's heart sank in disappointment. Of course he wasn't going to see her until she had evidence to prove Erik's innocence, but how on Earthland was she going to find it? "No, I don't have evidence," she said softly. "But can't I speak to him? He has been handling my case, and I'm afraid that the culprit will strike again."

The woman peered at Kinana through a pair of round glasses, and Kinana felt as though she was seeing right through her. "The culprit has been caught, so rest assured that you won't be getting any more threat messages. Now, run along. I don't have all day, dear. Can't you see that I'm sorting through these files?"

Kinana bowed her thanks and slinked back into the waiting room, where she plopped unceremoniously onto a chair. She knew talking to him wasn't going to work, but she wanted to try anyway. Why was she such an idiot?

"Kinana, is that you?" A deep, familiar voice asked with surprise.

Kinana looked up to see Erza Scarlet standing by the doorway. The policewoman, with her flaming red hair and stern gaze, was rumored to be feared by every male member of the police department. "Miss Erza!" Kinana greeted, hastily standing up. Remembering that Natsu had taken the most damage the night before, she added, "How is Mr. Dragneel doing?"

She smiled fondly. "Oh, he'll live."

"I was the one who put him in danger," Kinana said sadly. "If I hadn't put on my concert, none of this would had happened. When he wakes up, please tell him that I'm sorry."

Erza took her hand squeezed it gently. "Don't blame yourself, Kinana. The accident wasn't your fault. Besides, it's our duty to protect you, and getting hurt is a part of the job description. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we joined the force, so don't worry about it. I'm sure Natsu would say the same. Why don't you come visit him when he wakes up and pass on the message yourself?"

Kinana nodded, smiling a little. "I'll do that, thank you! Maybe I'll bring Lucy too," she added, remembering how Lucy seemed to have developed a crush on him.

"He'd like that," Erza replied. "He's staying at Magnolia Hospital, just down the street from here. I'll let you know when he wakes up."

"Thank you, Miss Erza!" Kinana said gratefully.

She patted Kinana on the arm. "You don't have to thank me, Kinana. I'm sorry I can't do anymore to help you."

"No, you've done more than enough!" Kinana insisted, then couldn't help asking a question that she was itching to ask. She knew Erza had dealt with him in the past, so she must be particularly sensitive when it came to this topic. But she wanted to know what others thought of Erik. "You...You don't believe Erik is the culprit, do you?"

Erza took a deep breath. "When I fought him in the past, he was as terrible as criminals could get. He used blackmail to rule over his underlings, you know. He...he knew things that no man could possibly know. Secrets that they - we, the police, even - had kept hidden our entire lives. It was as if he could somehow read our minds, and used that to his advantage. He truly was a ruthless and cunning man. In fact, he was so vile that calling him a bastard would be an understatement," she added with a humorless laugh.

Kinana could only listen as Erza went on. In her mind, she persuaded herself that this wasn't true. This was nothing like the Erik she had met last night, she told herself.

"But then, when I saw him again last night, he'd changed. He'd usually get one of his followers to do his dirty work, but he was investigating your case on his own. And I've never seen him sacrifice himself for anything, especially not for a woman," Erza finished with a small smile. "You were able to change him, Kinana, though I have no idea how. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that you two were lovers."

Kinana blushed and quickly shook her head. "W-We're not lovers!" she protested. "We're...we're not even friends," she added sadly, remembering how he had rejected their friendship.

Erza contemplated Kinana's words. "If you ask me, I'd say that he's protecting you. He didn't have to be a jerk, but that's his way of doing things, the bastard."

"Do you...do you really think so?" Kinana asked, hope brimming inside her. She didn't want to lose a friend after just making one.

"I know so," she stated with certainty. "I've had a similar experience in the past," she added wistfully, a red tinge spreading across her cheeks. She quickly shook her head and straightened up again. "I'm sorry Gildarts has been treating you so horribly, but he has his reasons. I'll make sure you get to see him when things have calmed down a little. But until then, try not to overstrain yourself. Okay, Kinana? And next time I see Cobra, I'll make him pay for hurting you," she promised, an evil smirk spreading across her face.

Kinana nodded, knowing that that was the end of their conversation. Erza was already doing so much to help, so she didn't want to impose any more on the policewoman. "I'll try," she agreed, giving the other woman a small wave as she exited the building.

If talking wasn't going to work, it was time for Plan B.

She took out her phone from her purse, staring at the vast number of missed calls and text messages she had received from her friends and family. They must have heard the news from the night before. Most of the calls were from her foster parents, and there were many from Mirajane, Lisanna, and even Elfman. She smiled at the thought that so many people cared about her wellbeing.

As she went through her contact list, her heart skipped a beat when she saw the alias that Erik had entered. But she knew she couldn't reach him now. Instead, she located the number of a certain supermodel that Lucy was a huge fan of.

The phone barely rang once before Mirajane immediately answered. "Kinana-chan, there you are! I've been trying to get a hold of you all day! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Do you want me to send Elfman over?"

Kinana giggled. Mirajane was overly protective of her due to her resemblance to Lisanna, the younger Strauss sibling, and Kinana found it endearing. Mirajane often joked that Kinana was probably a part of their family in an alternate dimension.

"I'm doing alright, Mira-nee..." Kinana was trying her best to be alright in a situation like this, but she had to admit how hard it was. She longed to talk to Laki again, and to see Erik. But there was nothing she could do to bring her best friend back. "But, I was wondering if you'd be able to do me a favor? You're a master of disguise, aren't you?"

There was a pause. "Well, I don't know if you can call modeling a form of disguise, but I do have some knowledge on that matter. Why, what's on your mind, Kinana-chan? I'll be happy to help!"

Before she had left that morning, she'd scanned Magnolia Prison's information page. She was disappointed that they did not accept visitors of any kind. If she wasn't going to gain access to the prison from Gildarts, then it was time she took things into her own hands and put her plan into action. She smiled.

"I have a small request...Could you get me into Magnolia Prison?"

* * *

After agreeing to meet with Mirajane later to figure out their plan, Kinana decided to head back to her apartment. It felt strangely empty now that Laki wasn't living with her anymore, but at least Lucy and Levy were there to keep her company, and that was more than she could ask for.

But before she could take another step, a taxi suddenly screeched to a halt in front of her. She jumped, startled, and quickly moved out of its way. A particularly large man with a friendly-looking face stepped out and stopped in front of her.

"You're her, aren't you?" he asked in a bright, cheerful voice. Kinana didn't know why, but he seemed almost _too_ cheerful.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, trying to skirt around him. She'd definitely had her share of talking to strangers.

" _His_ love," the man clarified, a smile dancing across his lips.

"Who?" Kinana asked warily. She felt as though they were talking in riddles. "Sorry, you must have the wrong person. I've never seen you before." As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt that something was off. Was this really the first time they had met? Then again, there was no way she could know someone like this. So, who was he?

He shrugged. "Then it must have been my mistake. I'm sorry for startling you, Miss. Oh, look, there's a bit of dust on your coat. Let me get it off for you," he said, moving toward her. Then, moving with an agility that wasn't possible for someone his size, he pulled away. "Well, see you around, Miss!"

Kinana stared as the strange man walked away, humming to himself. She had no idea what that was about, but shook her head, knowing that she had more important matters to deal with. She was just about to slip her phone in her pocket when her fingers brushed against an unfamiliar scrap of paper, and she frowned, wondering when on earth she had put such a thing there. Wait a minute...

Her eyes widened, recalling the strange man from earlier. He was already out of sight, but there definitely had been something weird about him. He couldn't have gotten a chance to put the paper in her pocket, could he?

She glanced around before gingerly opening it. Her heart pounded as she thought of the worst case. What if it was the culprit again, threatening to do something terrible to her friends? What if this time, the target wasn't just them, but her fans? What if the target was _Erik_ , because he had stopped them from killing her?

Instead, she saw that a single word had been hastily scrawled onto the paper. It was almost illegible, but she could make out what appeared to be a name. She had no idea what it meant, but just seeing the name sent shivers down her spine.

 _Zato_.

* * *

Erik looked up when Nadal the Guard stopped by his room. The poor man glanced around furtively as he held out a tray in his hands. "Your meal," he said, practically thrusting its contents at Erik.

Erik was locked up in the special ward, meaning that he was secluded from the other inmates and could not join them for meals. He also knew perfectly why he was there - he had been responsible for killing many people in the past. He knew this, the police knew this, in fact, everyone knew this, but they were frustrated that they couldn't find any evidence they could use against him. This time, though, they had an excuse for putting him there. He could almost imagine Gildarts laughing gleefully, and Dragneel was probably celebrating his capture in some bar far away. Not that he blamed them; he hated them as much as they hated him.

While this made it harder for him to observe fellow prisoners, he knew they didn't like to be stared at. Besides, it was better to mind your own business anyway when you were in prison.

He accepted the tray, staring at how meager his portion of beans were. Besides that, there was a single piece of bread, and he could tell it was stale from the fact that mold was starting to grow on its crust.

Well, he'd had worse. Back in the day, the gang could go a couple of days without food.

Sighing, he picked up the piece of bread and flipped it over. To his surprise, he saw that a list of names had been etched into the underside of the bread.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Well, well, looks like we're going to be friends, aren't we, Nadal?" he murmured to himself as he quickly scanned the names, then tore of the crust like any sensible person would do. Most of the names belonged to people he didn't know, of course, but one name in particular stood out.

 _Zato._ He had helped Erik in a past exploit, and was the leader of another gang that used to serve the Oracion Seis called Naked Mummy. While they had split up a long time ago, some of their members remained active by joining other gangs to escape capture.

Erik dismissed the idea that Zato was the true culprit - he was definitely too much of an idiot to be the mastermind - but there was no doubt a connection between him and Erik. If that was the case, though, then there must be someone even higher up working behind the scenes. Though, there was still the question of Kinana. She was an outsider, someone who had never been related to the gangs in any way. Why would they bring her into this?

Unless...

Could this really be so simple? No, it couldn't be, could it?

Erik stared at the name again as he nibbled the bread with distaste.

He still had a lot of thinking to do, but at least he knew one thing. What happens next was going to be really, really interesting.

* * *

Kinana returned to her apartment to see that Lucy and Levy were still there, running around in panic as they tried to find her. "Where have you been?" Lucy fretted. "You weren't answering your phone. We thought something had happened to you!"

Kinana felt guilty for not telling them that she had left, but she hadn't wanted to disturb them in the morning. "Sorry," she apologized. "I went to go see Gildarts, but that didn't work out, unfortunately."

She sighed in frustration.

"I'm sorry about that," Lucy murmured. "Gildarts is, pardon my French, an asshole, if you ask me. He doesn't even have time for his client? What kind of detective is that?"

Levy nodded in agreement, and Kinana couldn't help but smile. Her friends were supportive of her, especially after listening to her side of the story. They had seen first hand how Erik had risked his life to save Kinana last night.

"If Gildarts can't help us, we'll have to figure it out ourselves," Kinana made up her mind, her eyes sparkling with determination.

"I'll do research on criminal justice," Levy offered. Her friends knew how much she loved reading. "It's not right for Gildarts to just take Erik to prison without any evidence!"

Lucy nodded. "I'll see if I can dig up some old articles that can help. Also, Levy and I were discussing this earlier, but we think you should put on another concert as soon as you can, Kinana-chan."

Kinana's eyes widened, not knowing what to think. The concert had taken a toll on her, and she didn't know if she could sing again after the horrifying turn of last night.

"Erik is in prison, right? If the culprit strikes again at your next concert, and since Erik _definitely_ will have an alibi, we can prove that he and Erik are two different people!" Levy reasoned. "Besides, the culprit must think that he's free to do whatever he wants now that the police aren't following his trail. So we'll just have to lure him out again. That way, we'd kill two birds with one stone!"

Kinana looked thoughtful. "But...Gildarts is convinced that he's Erik's accomplice," she insisted. "I don't want any more people to get hurt because of me."

Lucy put her hand on Kinana's shoulder comfortingly. "As Levy said, Erik is in prison. I hate that idea as much as you, but there's no way he could hear about your concert when he's in prison. So the chances of him plotting with this 'accomplice' are next to zero," she theorized. "Which means that Gildarts will have to take us seriously whether he likes it or not!"

"You could be right," Kinana admitted. "You guys...thank you so, so much! You have no idea how much this means to me."

Lucy and Levy had identical grins etched on their faces. "Of course. We're your friends, Ki-Chan," Levy beamed. "We're happy to help."

Lucy nodded in agreement, but her expression darkened as she added softly in a voice that Kinana couldn't hear, "It's the only thing we could do."

* * *

A/n: here is the next chapter, and it's a lot longer~ the plot is thickening ;) Hope you enjoy! The plot is actually inspired a little by Detective Conan because I've watched way too much of that anime lately LOL. I'm not going to spoil anything though :P I love reading everyone's reviews and seeing your predictions on what happens next~!

Fun fact: All the names of the characters actually have appeared in Fairy Tail at some point XD

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Vilandel, MusicalArtist185, bluester, and Stalker sweet for reviewing the previous chapter! New readers are always welcome! :D


	6. Sixth Promise

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

Erik lounged lazily in his cell. Or, at least, he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible despite sitting on a bed made out of stone. At this rate, he'll turn into a cranky old man with never-ending back pain, he mused.

Not only that, but he was bored as hell. The day before, he'd learned that Nadal had suddenly quit due to "personal reasons", but he had a pretty good idea what his real reason was. They would assign another guard to him later, but they weren't able to find someone that could step in so soon. And until then, he wouldn't be able to interact with anyone, and he wished there was someone, anyone he could talk to.

Erik knew he should be contemplating his crimes, but that was the least of his worries. He sighed, thinking back to the past few days. To him, everything had been a blur. He'd been released from prison, met Kinana, then found himself back here again in the blink of an eye. If his gang were here now, they'd probably laugh at how stupid he was for getting caught in a crime that he didn't commit.

And then there was her. Kinana...what was she doing?

He wondered how she was coping with her friend's death. Losing someone was a terrible thing, and he hated himself for not being able to be there for her. But then, he knew he was protecting her by distancing himself from her.

He wondered if she was thinking about him. Then again, he'd been a jerk to her, so there was no way she would miss him. She didn't deserve someone like him.

How many days has it been since he was thrown in here again? Erik had already lost count. He half expected Gildarts to come and question him again, but they wanted to keep him locked up for as long as possible. Erik wished he wasn't so useless, but there was nothing he could do to ensure Kinana's safety. After all, the real culprit was still out there while Gildarts and the police were barking up the wrong tree.

He wanted to speak to Richard or any of his old mates, but his phone had been confiscated by the guards. The signal was probably weak here anyway, so he wouldn't be able to call them either.

Speaking of his old pals, he faintly remembered one girl in particular. She was a few years younger than him and followed him everywhere, gazing at him with wide, adoring eyes. She had purple hair and a chubby build, and he had been rather taken by how cheerful she always was, laughing even after she'd tripped. He remembered that while he probably would never admit it, she was the closest thing to a crush that he'd had. Erik wasn't someone who had crushes on girls, you could get any girl to fall for him, but she had been different.

What was her name again? Erik wondered. His silly childhood nickname was Eri, and Richard's was Richi. Most of his friends had eventually formed the Oracion Seis with him after they were too old to stay at the orphanage, but not her. She had been adopted by a loving couple, and they never got to see each other again.

Erik wondered what it would've been like if she'd became a part of the Oracion Seis with him. Would she still be cute and innocent?

Wait a moment. Her nickname had been Kina, hadn't it? And...there was only one girl he knew who resembled her _this_ much. Erik's eyes widened at this realization. Suddenly, it clicked. If she truly was the same girl from back then, everything made sense. The culprit must have known about their friendship, and threatened her to get to _him_. His hand clenched into a fist at the thought. When Erik found him, he was going to pay.

He suddenly yearned to see Kinana again to confirm whether she was the girl from his past, but he knew he couldn't reveal his past to her and put her in more danger. It was best for her to be kept in the dark, in case she accidentally revealed anything to the police and forced the culprit to make his next move sooner. Because if the culprit was smart enough, then there could only be one more step in his master plan...

And that was to kill her.

* * *

"Kinana-chan!"

Mirajane rushed forward and flung her arms around the younger girl as soon as Kinana stopped by to visit. "How are you doing? I've been worried sick about you!"

"Oof, c-can't breath," Kinana choked out. Mirajane seemed to be delicate, but she was surprisingly strong. "I'm doing a little better," she responded after managing to struggle out of the supermodel's hug. Kinana could already imagine the number of jealous male fans if they found out that she knew her.

Mirajane smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, dear. Speaking of, what's this Jenny told me that you've finally found a man?"

Kinana blushed. There was no point in denying her feelings in front of Mirajane, a self-proclaimed love guru who found enjoyment from pairing up her friends. Take Gray and Juvia, two of their mutual friends, for example. Kinana still couldn't believe that Mirajane was the one who pushed Gray to admit his feelings for her. "I...I don't know," she admitted finally. "We only just met yesterday. I mean, I do have a crush on him, but he rejected my friendship. He...he probably hates me."

"Oho," Mirajane teased, winking. "So, Cobra, huh? I didn't know you had a thing for bad boys, Kina-chan."

Kinana's cheeks warmed in embarrassment. "I-I don't, Mira-nee!" she denied quickly. "Erik appears rough, but he has a caring side, too."

"That's exactly what a bad boy is," Mirajane said cheekily. "But, never mind that. Why do you think he hates you? I read the tabloids from yesterday, and the paparazzi was all about him having feelings for you, you know."

Kinana's gaze fell. "It was my fault that he got arrested again," she mumbled.

"Did he say that directly to you, Kina-chan?" Mirajane asked.

"No, but - "

"Then there's nothing to worry about!" she reassured Kinana kindly. "You're too kind for your own good sometimes, Kinana-chan. I'm sure he had his reasons for doing things his way."

Kinana was still doubtful, but she knew she had to believe in him. "You're right," she agreed.

"See, I'm always right," Mirajane joked, her eyes twinkling. "And don't you worry about developing feelings for someone you just met! Love at first sight is perfectly normal, and if you ask me, I think it's absolutely adorable. Besides, you've technically known him for far longer than that," she pointed out. "You've been glued to the TV every time the reporters mention him."

Kinana couldn't object to the other girl's comment because she knew it was true. "You noticed," she mumbled, blushing again. She had to admit that despite his horrible past, she had always been interested in him since the first time he had appeared on TV. Not to mention that he also reminded her so much of her childhood friend. Her memory was still fuzzy, but she remembered that they had made a promise that if they ever got separated, he would ride a shooting star to find her.

 _The small purple-haired girl sneezed. She had been hiding underneath the bridge for what felt like forever, and the sun was setting. She shivered as the cold breeze flew by her small frame._

 _"Dummy Eri," she sobbed, unable to stop herself from crying. She had tripped on her way down from the riverbank, and the scratches on her arms hurt. Her belly growled, and she longed to go home, but she was a little lost._

 _Okay, she was very lost._

 _She recalled to earlier that day, when Eri, Richi, her and the other kids had decided to play hide-and-seek to pass the time._

 _"I'll be 'it'!" Eri boasted. "I'm the best at this game. I can find you no matter where you are!"_

 _"Bet you can't find me!" Kinana had challenged. "I'll hide so well that you'll never find me!"_

 _"Oh, we'll see about that!" Eri argued back._

 _As soon as the game started, Kinana turned and ran as far away from the orphanage as she could, sliding expertly through the trees and stopping by the river that ran through the nearby forest. As she looked around for a hiding space, she heard a low growl come from behind her._

 _She whirled around to see that a coyote was glaring at her with his fangs bared._

 _"Oh no!" she panicked, not knowing what to do. What was a coyote doing so close to the orphanage? She couldn't let it hurt the other kids._

 _Without thinking, she turned and raced away, the coyote hot on her heels. She didn't know where she was going, but all she wanted was to get away, to get away, to get away._

 _As she approached the river, she slowed down, tired and scared. Eri had probably already forgotten about her, and she was alone, facing the scary animal all by herself._

 _"Eri, help me," she whimpered. She backed away, but let out a yelp of surprise as she tripped in the mud and started tumbling down toward the river. Suddenly, cold water hit her skin and she gasped as her head went under._

 _She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. But maybe...just maybe...if she stayed there, the coyote would go away._

 _She'd been stuck under the bridge until now, and it was getting dark. Just then, she froze as she heard something rustling nearby, and wondered whether the coyote had returned and brought his friends with him. But, instead -_

 _"Kinana!"_

 _A familiar, comforting voice yelled out her name. His voice instantly made her feel warm and safe._

 _"Kinana, where are you?" the concerned voice of their teacher followed._

 _Heavy footsteps pounded the earth as Eri ran down the riverbank and skidded to a halt in front of her. He was still panting, as he stared at her with wide eyes and took in her battered form._

 _"Are you okay, Kinana?" he demanded, his voice filled with concern._

 _Just seeing him again was enough to bring a big smile to Kinana's face. "I win," she said triumphantly._

 _"You idiot!" he grabbed her arm and suddenly pulled her against his warm chest. She was soaked, but he didn't care. "Who cares about stupid games when you could've been in danger? Are you alright? Did anything hurt you?"_

 _"A big dog," she said, shaking. "It was chasing me, and then I fell down to the river. I thought if I hid here, the dog would go away and you wouldn't be able to find me."_

 _"Idiot," he scoffed again. "I found you, didn't I? No matter what happens, I'll always find you."_

 _She looked up then, just in time to see a shooting star flash by. "Look, Eri! It's a shooting star!"_

 _He gave her a smile and hugged her tighter. "I'll find you even if I have to ride a shooting star to do it!"_

 _While he comforted her, neither children noticed the teacher's eyes narrowing as she looked around. "There are no coyotes in this area," she noted to herself. "Someone must have set it free here. Who on earth would do such a thing...?"_

* * *

"How do I look?" Kinana asked, twirling a strand of her fake brunette hair nervously. Mirajane had donned Kinana in an old, faded button-up shirt, an ugly dress that fell to her feet ("You have to play the part of a poor lady looking for a job, Kina-chan!" Mirajane had scolded when Kinana tried to protest), and given a her a wig to cover up her conspicuous hair.

"You look like a completely different person!" Mirajane joked, "Which is, you know, the point. You remember how the plan goes, right?"

Kinana nodded determinedly. "Thank you, Mira-nee," Kinana said softly, taking a deep breath. She didn't know what she would do if Mirajane hadn't been there to help her.

She lifted her head boldly. "Well, here I come!"

After waving goodbye to the supermodel, Kinana left Mirajane's hotel room and called for a taxi. While waiting for her ride, she went over the plan again in her mind. She was going to pretend that she was looking for a job, then hopefully be able to infiltrate Magnolia Prison as a custodian. Then, after seeing Erik, she'd start preparing for the new concert, where they would hopefully be able to lure out the culprit.

Kinana knew that the plan was dangerous, but she was out of options. Locking Erik up wasn't going to help solve anything, and the killer was still out there. Who knows what he was doing...Was he already planning for his next attack, and planning to put even more of her fans in danger? she shuddered at the thought, fidgeting impatiently as the taxi brought her closer to the person she wanted to see the most.

 _Erik...I can finally see you again._

* * *

A/n: Sorry it took a while for me to update! I recently went on a trip during spring break and didn't have time D: but here is the next chapter~ Sorry Erik isn't really in this chapter again, but here's a little more backstory and a look into what Kinana thought about Erik before their meeting. She indeed did have a crush on him since first seeing him in the news, because he's quite hot ;)

Hope you enjoy! The plot is actually inspired a little by Detective Conan because I've watched way too much of that anime lately LOL. I'm not going to spoil anything though :P I love reading everyone's reviews and seeing your predictions on what happens next~!

Fun fact: All the names of the characters actually have appeared in Fairy Tail at some point XD

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Vilandel, and the kitty killer for reviewing the previous chapter! New readers are always welcome! :D


	7. Seventh Night

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

Once the taxi brought Kinana to her destination, she thanked the driver politely and stepped out of the car, getting a good look at Magnolia Prison for the first time. For a moment, she could only stand, transfixed, as she took in the tall, dark, and depressing building that loomed over her. To her, it looked almost frightening, and she knew Erik didn't deserve to be in a place like this.

"You can do this, Kina," she reassured herself as she walked up to the guard by the door. She nodded to him and introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Nana. I'm looking to apply for the custodian job that had been posted online."

The guard looked over her, his eyes lingering on her chest. Kinana tried not to squirm as he smirked at her, and she was suddenly very glad that she'd wore the old shirt to cover up her cleavage. "Hey, there. What brings a little lady like you to a place like this?"

"I would like to work here," Kinana said firmly. "My family is having financial difficulties, and...I want to be able to support them."

The guard blinked sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Nana" he said, running a hand through his dark-colored hair. Kinana thought he didn't sound sorry at all. "Let me talk to the boss, and we'll see what we can do for you."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Kinana beamed, trying to look hopeful as she followed him inside.

After turning right at the corner, the guard led her to a small room and told her to wait while he left to fetch the boss. As she waited, Kinana got the chance to study her surroundings properly. She hated how small and empty the room was. She felt trapped, and she longed to be anywhere but there.

"You have a mission to fulfill, Kina," she told herself, slapping her cheeks lightly to keep herself alert.

The room was so quiet that she almost jumped when the door flung open again, revealing a short, almost chubby man. His mouth was covered by a square mask, adding to the ominous air around him and preventing Kinana from being able to see his expression. He probably wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. "So you must be the cute girl he was talking about," the man said in an overly bright tone. "I'm the manager here. The name's Grog, but everyone just calls me Boss. What did you say your name was?"

Of course, Kinana hadn't told him her name yet, but she didn't want to make a bad first impression by correcting him. "It's Nana, sir," she said, bowing in greeting. "It's nice to meet you."

He peered closely at her. "Have I met you somewhere before?" he asked suspiciously. "You look awfully familiar."

Kinana shook her head, her heart quickening at the thought that she had already blown her cover. "Oh no, sir! I must have one of those faces, that's all..."

"Huh. For a moment, I almost thought you looked like that new singer, you know, the one who's become pretty famous despite just debuting a while go. Kina-chan, was it?" Grog mused, talking more to himself than to her. "I heard people were speculating that she blew up the concert hall on purpose to get attention, but you can never believe in the press these days..."

Kinana stiffened at the thought that people thought she was putting her fans in danger on purpose. She almost tried to defend herself, but managed to stop at the last minute. If she did, she would blow her cover. Out loud, she lied, "O-Oh, is that so? I'm not really into show biz, so I wouldn't know anything about that. A-Anyway, sir, about what we were discussing..." she trailed off, hoping that he would get her point.

Grog nodded importantly. "Oh yes, I haven't forgotten! You're hired!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Kinana stammered, unable to believe her ears. How could she have gotten hired so easily? There wasn't a catch or anything, was there?

His eyes sparkled. "Well, it's not everyday we get a cute girl coming in to Magnolia Prison and looking for a job. So, you're in!"

* * *

Erik awoke the next morning to the unpleasant sound of a whip slashing his back. Each stroke burned his skin, but he gritted his teeth, unwilling to give the person beating him the satisfaction that they were causing him pain.

"Wake up, Cobra," an unfamiliar guard sneered. "Trying to catch up on your beauty sleep, eh?"

He was instantly alert. "Well, it's not like there's anything else I can do," Erik retorted.

"Good news for you, then. We're moving you to the main area," the guard explained curtly. "Come along."

Erik instantly guessed why. They were probably aware that he was behind Nadal's sudden quitting of his job, and were trying to avoid the same incident from happening again. Moving him to the main jail would make it easier for the higher ups to keep an eye on him, without him being able to do anything to the guards. In other words, it was two birds with one stone.

This was good for him, too. It would give him a chance to mingle with the other inmates and see if he could find out anything about Zato and the person he worked for. As much as he hated to admit it, the culprit was certainly smart for having another man do his dirty work, he mused, purposely taking his sweet time to get out of bed to piss off the other man.

Erik followed the guard down the long, empty corridor. Erik occupied himself by counting the the number of tiles on the floor.

As they walked, they passed the prison's manager Grog, who was walking towards them with another person in tow. It wasn't often the manager showed up - he was usually always hiding away in his office, and no one knew what he did behind those doors. This perked Erik's interest, and he wondered who the other person following him was. He couldn't see them clearly, but because she had long hair, he guessed that she was a girl.

It wasn't often a girl showed up at the prison, especially if she wasn't a prisoner. Who was she and what was she doing here?

"Ah, Cobra," Grog spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Good timing. Don't try anything, you hear? We'll know all about it."

"Yeah, yeah," Erik drawled. The person behind them shifted suddenly when the manager mentioned his name, and Erik raised an eyebrow curiously. He leaned closer towards her to get a better look, and almost fell over when he realized that he knew who she was.

 _Kinana_.

She was wearing a blond wig - she was obviously trying to hide her original hair color - but it was her, alright. Erik could recognize her anywhere. He stiffened as he stared at her, wondering what the hell she was doing there.

She must have detected that he was watching her. As she lifted her head and met his gaze, her eyes instantly filled with relief and something else that he couldn't detect. Erik was good at reading other people's emotions, but he had a million and one questions when it came to her. He remembered that time when she fell when they were kids, but smiled at him despite her injuries. Why had she been smiling then...?

He wanted to talk to her and ask what was going on in her mind when she made the decision to come to a place like this. But with the two other men within earshot, it was impossible for them to speak without giving anything away.

"She's our new recruit, Nana," Grog explained to Erik's guard, answering Erik's unasked question at the same time. He kept his voice low, but thanks to Erik's skilled hearing, he was able to hear everything. "She'll be our new custodian starting today. If she needs anything, make sure to help her out, alright?"

"Will do, Boss," the guard nodded. "Come on, Cobra. Get moving. What the hell are you staring at her for?" He whipped Erik again to force him to move on, and Kinana jumped at the sound.

Erik knew one thing for certain then. She didn't belong here, not in Magnolia Prison, and definitely not in his world. She was too pure for the world of darkness that he was trapped in.

Kinana shot him a longing look as they passed each other. She wanted to touch him, but she knew she couldn't. Frustration flickered in her eyes, but there was nothing she could do.

She settled on reaching for his sleeve.

Her touch lasted barely for a second, and Erik wasn't even sure if it had simply been his imagination, but his hand tingled where she brushed against him. He turned his head and gave her one last look before she disappeared around the corner, leaving him alone with the guard once more.

Erik groaned inwardly. This was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

To say that Kinana felt frustrated was an understatement.

Throughout the day, she tried to look for Erik in an attempt to speak to him, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Not to mention that since it was her first day on the job, she found herself getting lost a few times - fine, she admitted that it was definitely more than just a few times - and accidentally locked herself in the broom cupboard in the process. It wasn't until a few hours later when a guard finally passed by and let her out.

The prison was like a maze. Many times, she would turn in one direction but suddenly find herself back in the same place she started. Kinana had no idea how the guards found their way around, but then again, she guessed that it made sense for the prison to be designed that way to prevent anyone from trying to escape.

When she finally did get a chance to see Erik from across the room during lunchtime - she was responsible for cleaning up after the inmates and making sure that they didn't leave a mess in the cafeteria - there was no way they could speak to each other without other people overhearing them.

By the end of the day, she was completely exhausted. She gave up on trying to talk to Erik, and after finding her way to the workers' quarters, collapsed down onto the tiny, uncomfortable bed. She knew she was wasting time, but there wasn't anything she could do.

 _Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all..._

Just as she was starting to regret coming here at all, a female voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, startling her. She didn't think there would be other women workers in the prison. "First day? I haven't seen you around before."

"Yes," Kinana answered weakly. "My name is Nana. I started working as a custodian today."

Kinana looked down from the top bunk to see a girl about her age with long, white hair. She looked dangerous, and definitely wasn't a force to be reckoned with. "The name's Angel," the girl introduced with a smile. Angel was the last name Kinana would have guessed, but she didn't dare say that out loud.

"Are you new, too?" Kinana asked. She hadn't seen the other girl during the day.

Angel shook her head. "No, I've been here for a while. I'm stationed in the back, so you probably wouldn't have seen me."

"I see," Kinana nodded. It was nice to have another female worker to talk to after a long day of seeing nothing but guys. "Do you know what happened to the previous custodian?"

"We don't talk to each other that much around here, but I think he quit because they overworked him," she explained. Kinana wondered whether that was why she was bogged down with so much work. "The retention rate here certainly isn't very high. Why, just yesterday Nadal left without an explantation. He was assigned to Cobra, the poor guy." She smirked, as though she found the situation rather entertaining.

This instantly perked Kinana's interest. "You've been here for a while, right? Were you assigned to Eri - Cobra, too?"

"Nope. The manager only lets the guards who've been here the longest keep an eye on him. I don't think they trust me enough to watch him, seeing how I used to be...ah, never mind. The manager also mentioned something about him playing with your emotions..." she trailed off, changing the subject. "Anyway, why do you ask? Don't tell me you're interested in him? Though, I wouldn't blame ya. He's quite a catch, that Cobra."

Kinana was very glad that she was sitting on the top bunk, so Angel wouldn't be able to see her embarrassed expression. "N-No, of course not! I was wondering if the rumors about him were true, that's all." That was when she picked up something from Angel's tone. Unable to stop herself, she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, from the way you talk about him...it's almost as though you know him?"

Angel's eyes widened, but then she said quickly, "Cobra's pretty famous around here, you know. Everyone knows him. Even you do."

"Good point," Kinana agreed. She didn't think she would get an answer from Angel tonight, so she didn't press the matter further.

"Well, I'm beat. Night, newbie!" Angel bade her goodnight. It didn't take long for the other girl to fall asleep, leaving Kinana alone to her thoughts.

Had Erik been playing with her emotions all along? Was he trying to get close to her, then hurt her like he did to all those other people? Kinana couldn't help wondering, recalling what Angel had said earlier. She shook her head, clearing the horrible idea out of her mind. No, Erik wouldn't do that to her, she told herself firmly. He protected you in exchange for his own freedom.

Besides, no matter how evil and manipulative he had been in the past, she knew he wasn't responsible for Laki's death. And that was mattered the most.

With that reassuring thought in her mind, Kinana soon drifted off to sleep, unaware of the danger that was looming over her.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Erik lay sprawled out in his bed, he thought back to what had happened during that day. To say that it had been hell was an understatement. Sure, now that he wasn't locked up by himself, he could finally see other people and actually get to talk to them. But that also meant he could overhear the dirty thoughts they had, too, especially when they revolved around a certain girl.

One of those instances happened during lunch. Erik was watching Kinana scrubbing the messy tables dutifully when he overheard a couple of inmates talking about her.

"Where the hell did they hire a girl like her from?"

"Dunno. She's some great eye candy though. I would do anything to bang her. Think she's a virgin?"

"I bet my share of dinner that she is."

"Dude, you think?"

Erik glared at them. He couldn't take them talking about her like she was a prize they could claim, so he stalked forward and grabbed the first man's shirt collar. "Keep it down a little, would you?" He snarled. "I could hear your disgusting words all the way over there." He jerked his head back towards the table he had previously been sitting at.

The first man's eye's widened, and he gulped as he recognized him. "Chill, man. It's not everyday we get to see a girl like that. Let us have some fun, would you?"

"Besides, what's it to you? Don't tell me you've set your eyes on her or something?" The second man challenged.

Erik knew what they were trying to pull. As soon as he denied it, they would claim her as their prey. He knew he wasn't going to give them that opportunity. "Maybe I have," he growled dangerously. "And you know I don't like to share."

The first man whistled. "Alright, man. You're no fun. But we promise not to hit on her anymore. Come on, mate, let's go," he hissed to his friend. The two men turned and quickly ran away, casting furtive glances back at Erik.

"Scaring poor, innocent folks off first thing in the morning, eh? I see you're grouchy as ever, Cobra."

A familiar voice spoke up from next to him. Erik whirled around to see Racer, a member of Oracion Seis, lounging in the chair next to him. Erik had been so focused on the two men that he hadn't even noticed that he was there.

"What are you doing here, Racer? You got caught by the police, too?" he asked, unable to hide the surprise from his voice.

Racer nodded glumly. "Unfortunately. It happened shortly after you were arrested the first time. I thought you were released, though. What made you come back?"

Erik sighed. He pointed to where Kinana was still busy cleaning the room, blissfully unaware of the dark things that were happening behind her back. "See that girl? It's because of her."

"Who knew Cobra would turn himself in for a _girl_?" Racer asked incredulously. He reached forward and tried to touch Erik's forehead. "You don't have a fever or anything, do you?"

"Fuck off," Erik snapped defensively, pulling away from Racer. "Don't get the wrong idea, idiot. I did it to protect her."

"Sure, sure," Racer said, though he didn't sound like he believed it one bit.

Erik changed the subject to avoid being interrogated even further. "So, you're here. Is anyone else here too?"

Racer thought for a moment. "Angel's here, too. Not as a prisoner, though. She was able to get off easy, lucky bitch. She's working as a guard for free on the condition that she never leaves the prison. Looks like they're short on manpower if they're willing to hire her."

"Guess women get it easy," Erik mused, realizing something then. That probably also explained how Kinana was able to get a job here so easily.

Racer's eyes darkened, not missing a beat. "You still haven't told me the real reason you're here yet. So, you better spill, Cobra."

Erik knew he wouldn't be able to keep his secret from Racer. With a sigh, he whispered, "I'm here to search for someone."

"Your long lost lover?" Racer teased, nodding at Kinana again.

"What the hell, no! A guy by the name of Zato. That ring a bell for you?" Erik asked, glaring at Racer for teasing him.

Racer frowned. "Zato, huh...the name sounds familiar. I think a few years back, he was a information dealer who worked on and off for Brain. But after you killed Brain, the guy disappeared and was never heard from again. Why are you looking for him?"

"If he hid then, why would he show himself now?" Erik asked himself thoughtfully. "I can't imagine Zato would have a reason to kill her..."

"Her? Who's her?"

"Kinana."

"No way. You mean _Kina-chan_?" Racer asked, confirming Erik's suspicion that Kinana was their childhood friend.

Racer had also been a part of the group from the orphanage. His name was Sawyer. Racer had the best memory in their gang, so Erik didn't doubt that he would remember their past. When Erik nodded, Racer looked thoughtful. "You know, the only person I know who could have an interest in her is Brain. He was aware of who we were and recruited us personally after we were kicked out of that damn place, remember? He's dead, though, so I can't imagine how he could kill her. Unless he's come back to life as ghost and is haunting us for betraying him," he half-joked to lighten the atmosphere.

Erik's eyes widened. Racer may have been joking, but his words made Erik's brain whirl in thought. "Racer, was there a body at the scene?"

Racer shook his head. "Not that I remember. After you shot him in the head, you left him for the dogs. A few days later I passed by the area again and he wasn't there anymore. We figured the dogs had gotten him."

"But what if they hadn't?" Erik pressed. "What if he wasn't completely dead, and someone saved him? Damn, I should have checked when I had the chance!" he punched the table in frustration.

His violent move alerted the guards. Before Racer could respond, two men came stalking towards him and grabbed him by the arms. "Cobra, I presume?"

"What the hell do you want?" Erik demanded.

"We're taking you back to your cell. We can't have you displaying violence in the prison."

Erik glowered at the guards, but there was nothing he could do. He glanced back at Racer as he permitted them to take him away, his mind spinning from the information he had gotten.

If what he and Racer discussed was true, Kinana was no doubt in grave danger. And it would take more than the Magnolia Police to protect her from Brain. He was the most powerful Oracion Seis member of them all, a cunning man feared by gangs throughout Earthland.

And no one, absolutely no one, has ever survived an encounter with him.

* * *

A/n: Dun dun dun! It's time for the plot to thicken! ;)

Hope you enjoy! The plot is actually inspired a little by Detective Conan because I've watched way too much of that anime lately LOL. I'm not going to spoil anything though :P I love reading everyone's reviews and seeing your predictions on what happens next~!

Fun fact: All the names of the characters actually have appeared in Fairy Tail at some point XD

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Vilandel, the kitty killer, and FeeBee Bumblebee 2002 for reviewing the previous chapter! New readers are always welcome! :D


	8. Eighth Visit

A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

* * *

Kinana opened her eyes with a jolt. For a moment, she almost forgot where she was, but as she stared at the battered ceiling with its paint pealing off, everything came back to her.

That's right. It was her second day at Magnolia Prison.

Not that she was counting, but she knew she was almost out of time. She had to act soon if she wanted to save Erik and protect her fans without the culprit getting suspicious of her sudden disappearance. Not to mention that Evergreen, her manager, was probably furious for not being able to get in contact with her.

But the question that had been on her mind since the day everything started was, _how_?

"Morning, newbie!"

Kinana saw that Angel was already up and was slipping on her green guard uniform as she greeted her. And because Kinana was sitting on the top bunk, she was able to get a good view of Angel's back as she changed. To her surprise, she saw the flash of what was no doubt a gang tattoo before Angel quickly covered it up with her shirt

Where had she seen that mark before?

Kinana didn't think it would be a good idea to ask as she slipped out of bed and changed into her own uniform. Her arms still ached from all the cleaning she had to do yesterday, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She let out a soft sigh as she wondered how her friends were doing back home. Before she left, she had asked Lucy to visit Natsu in the hospital in her place. Had she gotten the chance to go see him yet? Was Natsu doing better?

There was so many questions she wanted to ask, but none of them had the answers she was searching for. It wasn't fair.

"What are you looking all depressed for?" Angel asked curiously as they headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. The prison's employees ate in a separate room from the inmates to avoid conflicts between them. The portions were small and the food tasteless, but at least they had something to eat.

"N-No reason! I'm just concerned if my family will have enough money this week," Kinana lied, remembering that she was supposed to be working there to support her family.

Angel smiled wistfully. "At least you have a family...I lost mine a long, long time ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kinana lamented, feeling truly sad for her new friend. She longed to tell her the truth, that she too had lost her family at a young age and knew exactly how the other girl felt, but of course she couldn't.

Angel laughed a little. "Don't be. I've accepted it. Has your friends ever told you that you're very earnest?"

"Huh? W-What do you mean?" Kinana stammered nervously, telling herself to act casual. This was why she never was cut out to be an actress, she thought with a groan.

"You're very easy to read, Nana. I can see that there's something you're not telling me," Angel said, making Kinana's eyes widen in surprise. "But then again, everyone here has secrets they're trying to keep, even if it costs them their lives."

Kinana shuddered at the implication of Angel's words.

"Some people can figure out your secrets more easily than others, though, that's all. Take Cobra, for instance. Be careful if you ever have to deal with him, okay?" Angel patted Kinana's back as they headed their separate ways.

Kinana nodded absentmindedly, still thinking about what Angel had said, as she said goodbye and went about her tasks for the day. Everyone was telling her to be careful of Erik, but she knew he wasn't a bad person. But how was she going to make them see that?

She was so deep in thought that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and as she cleaned the inmates' cafeteria during after breakfast, she accidentally walked straight into another person. She gasped as a cup fell from their hand and crashed onto the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.

"Watch what you're doing, bitch!" the man said rudely. "You made me spill my drink!"

"I-I'm sorry," she apologized, wincing at his language. She didn't want to start a fight this early in the morning. "I'm doing laundry next, so if you don't mind giving me that shirt, I'll clean it for you," she offered.

He smirked and leaned in closer to her. "Oh, do you want my shirt that badly? I'm not going to let you go for this unless you pay me back for what you did, lady."

"W-What do you mean?" Kinana asked, panicking. "I have no money. I can't pay you."

"Aren't you a truthful one? Let's see...if you can't pay with money, then you'll just have to use your _body_."

Kinana's cheeks burned in embarrassment as she finally understood his words. At that moment, she knew she had to do something to get out of this mess, but what could she do?

Before she could register what was happening, Erik suddenly appeared beside her and gripped the other man's wrist tightly with his hand. He bent it to the opposite side, squeezing hard as he did so and making the much larger man whimper.

"What did you say, you bastard?" Erik hissed threateningly. "She already apologized, hasn't she? Why can't you let it go?"

The man's face contorted in pain. "Let me go, you damn snake!"

"Only on the condition that you never talk to her again. She's my woman, so back off!" Erik declared, making Kinana blush in amazement. She knew it was an act, but she couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy, and her heart beat faster when he called her his.

"Oh? If she is, prove it," the man said, clearly not believing Erik's words.

Erik gave her an almost apologetic glance, then grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

The next thing she knew, he had pressed his lips against hers, and all Kinana was aware of was that Erik was kissing her so fiercely as if there was no tomorrow.

His kiss was rough but gentle as his mouth moved hungrily against hers. _Just like him,_ she couldn't help thinking. She let out a moan when he nibbled on her bottom lip, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. She had never been kissed quite like this before, she thought, blushing furiously as he deepened the kiss and squeezed her against his broad chest. Her face burned even redder when she heard inmates whistle around the cafeteria at their public display of affection.

"Don't mind them," he whispered against her lips. She could feel him smirk, and the way his voice sounded so low and sexy made her heart skip a beat.

She could've stayed there with him forever, but all too soon, the moment came to an end when the door suddenly flung open to reveal two angry-looking guards. They stormed in, causing the men to scatter in all directions. Kinana gasped when she recognized that one of guards was Angel.

"What do you lot think you're doing?" Angel's male companion demanded, glaring around at them. "You, back to work!" he ordered Kinana, who squeaked and jumped away from Erik as though she had been stung. "You, clean up this mess!" he ordered the first man who had picked a fight with Erik.

"But isn't that the custodian's job?" he whined, pointing at Kinana. Still feeling rather terrified of the bulky man, she grabbed her broom and tried to hide behind it, realizing too late that it probably didn't help at all.

"We saw everything. You were the one responsible, so you'll be doing the cleaning!" the guard snapped, unfazed.

Erik started snickering when he saw Kinana's poor attempt at hiding, but unfortunately, the guard noticed too. "You, stop laughing and come with us! We'll beat you if we have to, Cobra!"

He sighed, wondering what punishment he would be receiving for stepping out of the line. He should have known that there would be security cameras everywhere. Ah, well, it had been worth it to give her that kiss, he mused, smirking slightly as he remembered the way she had responded to him. From her actions, he could tell that she was totally into him. His heart did a little dance in his chest.

"Coming, coming," he drawled, taking his time on purpose to get under the guard's skin. He gave Angel a slight nod as they passed, realizing that Racer's words were indeed true and that she was working for the prison. How ironic.

As they left, Kinana stared after them with concern in her eyes, but there was nothing she could do except to watch as he walked away from her. _Again_.

* * *

"There's a visitor for you, Cobra," the guard informed Erik brusquely as soon as they had left the cafeteria behind. So that was why they had dragged him out, Erik realized.

"Oh?" Erik wondered who they could be. He guessed that the only person who would have the power to see him would be Gildarts, and he knew he was right as soon as the two led him into the interrogation room and locked the door behind them.

Gildarts was seated in the chair on the other side of the window, tapping his hand patiently as he waited for Erik to arrive. When he did, he looked up and acknowledged him with a curt nod. "Long time no see, Cobra. How's prison treating you? Well, I hope?"

Erik knew full well that the detective was being sarcastic. He rolled his eyes. "I've had better. What are you doing here?"

"Well, my darling secretary - " Erik tried not to cringe at the endearment - "told me that Kinana-chan tried to come talk to me again while I was out," Gildarts began importantly. He purposely left out the part where Erza had practically threatened him to hear her out. "I'm a reasonable man, if I do say so myself, so I wanted to give her a chance. And as you know, the prison is the only place we're able to talk without extra ears listening in, if you know what I mean.."

Of course Erik knew what he meant. The culprit could be following their very move.

"Anyway, so here I am, ready to listen to what you have to say. So, if you claim that you're not the culprit, who do you think it was?" Gildarts asked brazenly. At Erik's imploring gaze, he sighed. "We haven't been able to find a lead," he admitted reluctantly. "We've been trying, but all we've been getting are dead ends."

Erik smirked. He would love to keep the police in the dark, but Kinana's safety mattered too much. "That's because he literally is, well, dead."

Gildarts stared at him, mouth dropped open in shock. "That can't be possible," he protested.

Erik almost fell out of his chair at Gildart's comical expression. "Yes, it can. There's only one person who knows my past relationship with Kinana. It's got to be him."

"Your past relationship with her?" Gildarts repeated, his eyes popping in excitement. "Don't tell me you two were lovers? In that case, the killer would be Kinana's ex-boyfriend, wouldn't it?"

"Hell no!" Erik denied. He suddenly wondered whether Kinana had previous relationships, and what kind of man she had dated. He shook his head furiously, cursing Gildarts for planting that idea in his head. "I mean, as in when we were at Magnolia Orphanage together!"

Gildarts gestured for him to go on.

"Anyway, I killed the previous Oracion Seis leader, Brain, a few years ago. I thought I'd left him to die, but what if he didn't? What if he's still alive? He would definitely have a motive for sending her that letter."

Gildarts was evidently still confused. "Well, if you say so. But how can you prove that it's him? His name's not really Brain, is it?"

"Of course not. We all have codenames in the gang, so we don't know each other's identities." Erik left out the part that they actually _did_ know each other from the orphanage, but the police didn't have to know that. Somehow, he felt that it was wrong for the police to destroy those precious childhood memories, the only happy memories he had of _her_. "Though, there's a guy he's definitely contacted in the past few months. His real name is Zato. If you follow him, he might tell you some secrets." He winked at the detective, who frowned as he quickly scribbled down some notes in his notebook.

"And if we find that you've been lying to us?"

Erik leaned back in the hard, black chair, pretending to look as comfortable as he could despite how the chair made his entire body ache. "You know where to find me."

* * *

A/n: Dun dun dun! It's time for the plot to thicken! ;)

Hope you enjoy! Leave a review and let me know what you think? :)


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